Lend a Hand, Lift a Heart: Paddock Elementary School Host School-wide Day of Service

On Friday, April 20th all 800+ students and staff at Stuart R. Paddock elementary school in Palatine participated in the first school-wide day of service.  The PTA Community Cares team, headed up by Susanne Glazbrook and Julie VanderArk, planned and coordinated service projects benefitting the school, Palatine and the world for each of the classrooms.   Many volunteers donated materials and time as they helped facilitate the projects with the support of Paddock teachers and staff.  

As volunteers entered the school to offer their time they were asked to sign in on a large board which asked them "Why they volunteer".  Answers ranged from "because it is the right thing to do for our community" to "I want to set a good example for my kids".  Whatever the reason, more than 50 volunteers joined the students during the day to help execute the multitude of projects taking place simultaneously.  

The hands-on service projects for k-6^th grade students included:

• Making 50 centerpieces, 100 paper hearts and trees for the Plum Grove Nursing Home and Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois;
• Painting pictures for a common area room at Journeys from PADS to HOPE;
• Beautifying the school, including planting flowers, cleaning the computer lab and organizing lost & found items;
• Writing 200 cards for impoverished children worldwide through Compassion, Int.;
• Collecting dozens of boxes of food for the Palatine Township Food Pantry.
• Braiding 200 fleece dog pulls for the West DuPage Humane Society;
• A parent volunteer guiding students through a relaxation technique to create 60 paintings evoking peace and happiness for Hospice;
• Gathering and sorting thousands of crayons to create super crayons for children with special needs through SCARCE;
• Collecting recycled ink jet cartridges, eyeglasses, keys, hearing aides and cell phones for recycling or helping others through the Palatine Lions Club;
• Cutting and tying 100 fleece blankets for Hospice and Project Linus;
• Students writing letters to lawmakers advocating for childhood vaccinations worldwide through shot@life.org.

The students enjoyed participating in projects to help animals, the environment and people in their own community and around the world.  They engaged in great discussions about service and how, even as children, they can make a difference in their community and the world through their acts of kindness, advocacy and helping others.